All Discussions Tagged 'of' - Think Atheist2015-03-03T19:44:11Zhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=of&feed=yes&xn_auth=noGenesis 3 - Quality Propagandatag:www.thinkatheist.com,2014-10-22:1982180:Topic:14965832014-10-22T04:03:43.575ZAiken Drums Sisterhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/KevinDelgado
<p>An interesting discussion came up tonight in a forum I frequent - What was going on with the snake and the tree and the fruit in the Garden of Eden?</p>
<p>General agreement by most that it was a story of not obeying and suffering punishment for it. That's the story I heard in Sunday School and apparently most others did as well. But I thought about it for the first time since I was a little kid, with adult cynicism and now I'm not sure... Here's my thinking and I'm sure I'm not the first…</p>
<p>An interesting discussion came up tonight in a forum I frequent - What was going on with the snake and the tree and the fruit in the Garden of Eden?</p>
<p>General agreement by most that it was a story of not obeying and suffering punishment for it. That's the story I heard in Sunday School and apparently most others did as well. But I thought about it for the first time since I was a little kid, with adult cynicism and now I'm not sure... Here's my thinking and I'm sure I'm not the first to think it... among scholars or ThinkAtheists... but put up with me.</p>
<p><span>It's an allegory for the Parent/Toddler relationship. Adam and Eve were toddlers told not to do something (don't eat the fruit), but not told WHY NOT to do that thing. The authority doesn't owe them an explanation and they wouldn't understand it anyway. If they obey, they can remain children and be taken care of forever and ever, amen.</span><br/><br/><span>But they disobeyed and ate the fruit and gained the understanding of WHY NOT that the parent had. They're now adults (or at least adolescents) and now they have the burden of taking care of themselves that comes with understanding WHY NOT. And the world is tougher and they have to make decisions and nobody will take care of them.</span><br/><br/><span>The Ancients saw this Fall as a bad thing. I think it's just a natural and healthy bit of maturation. The next step is to move out of the Parent's basement altogether and live completely without him, because we're not children and he's not necessary anymore. That's where we are now: boxing up the good stuff and hopefully leaving the childish things for the Parent to put in the closet under the stairs. Eventually the Parent dies, but we've go our own thing going on so it's a little sad, but no regret and not a big deal.</span></p>
<p><span>But for the Ancients in charge, this wasn't just a story about disobeying and punishment. This is a story about presuming to think you can even understand the decisions being made on your behalf. Like you might say to a toddler: "Because I'm the Mommy and I say so!", that's the message. It makes the transgressor go from thinking "If I do it, this bad thing will happen," to "I shouldn't do it because I shouldn't do it." Discussion of the matter at hand is impossible because the nature of the transgression is irrelevant, it's that there's a transgression at all. Not "Don't question", but "There is no question."<br/></span></p>
<p><span>And if you can get your subjects to believe that kind of thinking is why all of humanity suffers you can get them not to even think about questioning your authority.</span></p>
<p><span>Isn't this somewhat the way the Catholic Church in its heyday, and most totalitarian governments, have operated? But this is central to the Christian Church in all it's denominations and kind of a beloved story about our frail humanity. And it's really just propaganda designed to protect authority.</span></p>
<p>And it's a monumentally powerful bit of propaganda. Biblical , in fact.</p> Baby stepstag:www.thinkatheist.com,2014-09-25:1982180:Topic:14923572014-09-25T15:27:00.901ZPhyseterhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Physeter
<p>I’m trying to become just a little more bold.</p>
<p>Earlier <a href="http://www.thinkatheist.com/forum/topics/testing-the-waters-and-the-waters-aren-t-good">this month</a> when I went on a camping trip, I tried to say a few things about evolution to my very Christian creationist friend. It didn’t all that well, but then again, he didn’t immediately demand I explain my faith, or stop being my friend. ;)</p>
<p>Now last week, I was visiting my old friends from the missionary program. They got…</p>
<p>I’m trying to become just a little more bold.</p>
<p>Earlier <a href="http://www.thinkatheist.com/forum/topics/testing-the-waters-and-the-waters-aren-t-good">this month</a> when I went on a camping trip, I tried to say a few things about evolution to my very Christian creationist friend. It didn’t all that well, but then again, he didn’t immediately demand I explain my faith, or stop being my friend. ;)</p>
<p>Now last week, I was visiting my old friends from the missionary program. They got talking about gay marriage and how it’s trying to get into our churches. I didn’t say anything, but they <i>noticed</i> I wasn’t saying anything, so they asked me what I was thinking. So I tried to tell them what I really think. How gay people aren’t going away, how discrimination is like racism in the 60s, how people struggle with their orientation but eventually find God’s love and acceptance.</p>
<p> They gave me back kind of what you’d expect. If we change marriage to allow two men to marry, just because they want it, next won’t we have to allow adults to marry children, if the children say it’s love? That’s what really scared them. Saying gay is nothing like race, because you can’t change your race. They’re still convinced you can change if you’re gay or not; or that forced celibacy is an acceptable solution for gay people. I really didn’t defend my beliefs as well as I’d like. I wasn’t able to counter their arguments.</p>
<p>There’s only so much I could say, though. This is a very spiritual guy who thinks he’s getting prophetic dreams all the time; so he’s not in the habit of looking for solid evidence.</p>
<p>He even said if the Christians all do the right thing, and hold fast to God’s word, this whole “gay rights” thing will just fade away and disappear in the next 10, 15 years.</p>
<p>So the conversation didn’t go the best, but after a while they changed the subject and we played video games. Then over the next days they were still nice to me. They were really glad to have me there. They didn’t bring the subject up again. We’re still friends.</p>
<p>I don’t think they would have reacted so calmly if they actually found out my atheism. But I feel good having had that discussion with them. I feel like I’m finally making baby steps towards being confident enough to stop hiding. I imagine that would be a good thing.</p> What to do about psychopaths now that we can identify them?tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2014-09-12:1982180:Topic:14905312014-09-12T18:37:44.400ZUnseenhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Unseen
<p>Psychopaths aren't evil, <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-neuroscientist-who-discovered-he-was-a-psychopath-180947814/?no-ist" target="_blank">they simply have defective brains</a>. Yet, while they are only 1% of the population, they are 20% of prison inmates. Worse, they account for 50% of violent crimes. Thus, one of the most productive things we could do to make society safer, would be to do something about psychopaths.</p>
<p>But what?</p>
<p>Since the physical…</p>
<p>Psychopaths aren't evil, <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-neuroscientist-who-discovered-he-was-a-psychopath-180947814/?no-ist" target="_blank">they simply have defective brains</a>. Yet, while they are only 1% of the population, they are 20% of prison inmates. Worse, they account for 50% of violent crimes. Thus, one of the most productive things we could do to make society safer, would be to do something about psychopaths.</p>
<p>But what?</p>
<p>Since the physical cause of psychopathy was discovered, a puzzling fact became clear: Many psychopaths go through life without committing any major crime, much less a violent crime. In fact, the scientist who actually identified the area and condition of the brain causing psychopathy discovered, by accident, that he himself is a psychopath! So, even he, a scientist who has forwarded our understanding of psychopathy, is a psychopath. Anything we were to do to control psychopathy might, if handled improperly, prevent the good a psychopath can do.</p>
<p>Confused? Well, what are the symptoms of psychopathy? (Even if you don't read them all, there is further discussion after the list of symptoms.):<br/> <br/> 1. GLIB AND SUPERFICIAL CHARM — the tendency to be smooth, engaging, charming, slick, and verbally facile. Psychopathic charm is not in the least shy, self-conscious, or afraid to say anything. A psychopath never gets tongue-tied. He can also be a great listener, to simulate empathy while zeroing in on his targets’ dreams and vulnerabilities, to be able to manipulate them better.<br/> <br/> 2. GRANDIOSE SELF-WORTH — a grossly inflated view of one’s abilities and self-worth, self-assured, opinionated, cocky, a braggart. Psychopaths are arrogant people who believe they are superior human beings.<br/> <br/> 3. NEED FOR STIMULATION or PRONENESS TO BOREDOM — an excessive need for novel, thrilling, and exciting stimulation; taking chances and doing things that are risky. Psychopaths often have a low self-discipline in carrying tasks through to completion because they get bored easily. They fail to work at the same job for any length of time, for example, or to finish tasks that they consider dull or routine.<br/> <br/> 4. PATHOLOGICAL LYING — can be moderate or high; in moderate form, they will be shrewd, crafty, cunning, sly, and clever; in extreme form, they will be deceptive, deceitful, underhanded, unscrupulous, manipulative and dishonest.<br/> <br/> 5. CONNING AND MANIPULATIVENESS: the use of deceit and deception to cheat, con, or defraud others for personal gain; distinguished from Item #4 in the degree to which exploitation and callous ruthlessness is present, as reflected in a lack of concern for the feelings and suffering of one’s victims.<br/> <br/> 6. LACK OF REMORSE OR GUILT: a lack of feelings or concern for the losses, pain, and suffering of victims; a tendency to be unconcerned, dispassionate, coldhearted and unempathic. This item is usually demonstrated by a disdain for one’s victims.<br/> <br/> 7. SHALLOW AFFECT: emotional poverty or a limited range or depth of feelings; interpersonal coldness in spite of signs of open gregariousness and superficial warmth.<br/> <br/> 8. CALLOUSNESS and LACK OF EMPATHY: a lack of feelings toward people in general; cold, contemptuous, inconsiderate, and tactless.<br/> <br/> 9. PARASITIC LIFESTYLE: an intentional, manipulative, selfis, and exploitative financial dependence on others as reflected in a lack of motivation, low self-discipline and the inability to carry through one’s responsibilities.<br/> <br/> 10. POOR BEHAVIORAL CONTROLS: expressions of irritability, annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression and verbal abuse; inadequate control of anger and temper; acting hastily.<br/> <br/> 11. PROMISCUOUS SEXUAL BEHAVIOR: a variety of brief, superficial relations, numerous affairs, and an indiscriminate selection of sexual partners; the maintenance of numerous, multiple relationships at the same time; a history of attempts to sexually coerce others into sexual activity (rape) or taking great pride at discussing sexual exploits and conquests.<br/> <br/> 12. EARLY BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS: a variety of behaviors prior to age 13, including lying, theft, cheating, vandalism, bullying, sexual activity, fire-setting, glue-sniffing, alcohol use and running away from home.<br/> <br/> 13. LACK OF REALISTIC, LONG-TERM GOALS: an inability or persistent failure to develop and execute long-term plans and goals; a nomadic existence, aimless, lacking direction in life.<br/> <br/> 14. IMPULSIVITY: the occurrence of behaviors that are unpremeditated and lack reflection or planning; inability to resist temptation, frustrations and momentary urges; a lack of deliberation without considering the consequences; foolhardy, rash, unpredictable, erratic and reckless.<br/> <br/> 15. IRRESPONSIBILITY: repeated failure to fulfill or honor obligations and commitments; such as not paying bills, defaulting on loans, performing sloppy work, being absent or late to work, failing to honor contractual agreements.<br/> <br/> 16. FAILURE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN ACTIONS: a failure to accept responsibility for one’s actions reflected in low conscientiousness, an absence of dutifulness, antagonistic manipulation, denial of responsibility, and an effort to manipulate others through this denial.<br/> <br/> 17. MANY SHORT-TERM RELATIONSHIPS: a lack of commitment to a long-term relationship reflected in inconsistent, undependable, and unreliable commitments in life, including in marital and familial bonds.<br/> <br/> 18. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: behavior problems between the ages of 13-18; mostly behaviors that are crimes or clearly involve aspects of antagonism, exploitation, aggression, manipulation, or a callous, ruthless tough-mindedness.<br/> <br/> 19. REVOCATION OF CONDITION RELEASE: a revocation of probation or other conditional release due to technical violations, such as carelessness, low deliberation or failing to appear.<br/> <br/> 20. CRIMINAL VERSATILITY: a diversity of types of criminal offenses, regardless if the person has been arrested or convicted for them; taking great pride at getting away with crimes or wrongdoings.</p>
<p>Some of our most cherished ideas about psychopaths are flat out wrong. While bad parenting often results in violent, dysfunctional people, it is easy to find violent psychopathic monsters who were raised ideally in every way. Nurturing environment, loving parents, and yet one day they commit some horrific crime.</p>
<p>So, the question is this: now that we know and can identify the brain condition that IS psychopathy, what can or should we do to prevent that 50% of violent crimes which they cause.</p>
<p>Strangely, we often admire and appreciate psychopaths. Many of our leading politicians, athletes, and business leaders are psychopaths, as are people run charitable programs. Successful doctors are often psychopaths because they can set emotions aside and make starkly practical decisions.</p>
<p>There's another question to be answered, and it's primarily an ethical one. Since psychopathy is a dysfunction of the brain, to what extent can we hold psychopaths responsible for any crimes they may commit?</p>
<p></p> The end is nigh! Well, nigher anyway. And it's scientists, not apocalyptic Christians saying it!tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2014-09-08:1982180:Topic:14899302014-09-08T21:47:57.495ZUnseenhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Unseen
<p>The laws of physics aren't written in granite, it seems. Not only may there have been a period of inflation after The Big Bang in which the current speed limit in physical law didn't exist, but there's nothing stopping another change in physical law, bringing the universe as we know it to a massive, crunching end.</p>
<p><em>Maybe it happens tomorrow. Maybe in a billion years. Physicists have long predicted that the universe may one day collapse, and that everything in it will be compressed…</em></p>
<p>The laws of physics aren't written in granite, it seems. Not only may there have been a period of inflation after The Big Bang in which the current speed limit in physical law didn't exist, but there's nothing stopping another change in physical law, bringing the universe as we know it to a massive, crunching end.</p>
<p><em>Maybe it happens tomorrow. Maybe in a billion years. Physicists have long predicted that the universe may one day collapse, and that everything in it will be compressed to a small hard ball. New calculations from physicists at the University of Southern Denmark now confirm this prediction – and they also conclude that the risk of a collapse is even greater than previously thought.Sooner or later a radical shift in the forces of the universe will cause every little particle in it to become extremely heavy. Everything - every grain of sand on Earth, every planet in the solar system and every galaxy – will become millions of billions times heavier than it is now, and this will have disastrous consequences: The new weight will squeeze all material into a small, super hot and super heavy ball, and the universe as we know it will cease to exist.</em><br/><br/><em>This violent process is called a phase transition and is very similar to what happens when, for example water turns to steam or a magnet heats up and loses its magnetization. The phase transition in the universe will happen if a bubble is created where the Higgs-field associated with the Higgs-particle reaches a different value than the rest of the universe. If this new value results in lower energy and if the bubble is large enough, the bubble will expand at the speed of light in all directions. All elementary particles inside the bubble will reach a mass, that is much heavier than if they were outside the bubble, and thus they will be pulled together and form supermassive centers.</em><br/><br/><em>"Many theories and calculations predict such a phase transition– but there have been some uncertainties in the previous calculations. Now we have performed more precise calculations, and we see two things: Yes, the universe will probably collapse, and: A collapse is even more likely than the old calculations predicted", says Jens Frederik Colding Krog, PhD student at the Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics Phenomenology (CP³ - Origins) at University of Southern Denmark and co-author of an article on the subject in Journal of High Energy Physics</em>. (<a href="http://phys.org/news/2013-12-collapse-universe-closer.html" target="_blank">source</a>)</p>
<div style="xg-p: absolute; left: -99999px;">Maybe it happens tomorrow. Maybe in a billion years. Physicists have long predicted that the universe may one day collapse, and that everything in it will be compressed to a small hard ball. New calculations from physicists at the University of Southern Denmark now confirm this prediction – and they also conclude that the risk of a collapse is even greater than previously thought. <br/><br/> Read more at: <a href="http://phys.org/news/2013-12-collapse-universe-closer.html#jCp">http://phys.org/news/2013-12-collapse-universe-closer.html#jCp</a><div style="xg-p: absolute; left: -99999px;">Maybe it happens tomorrow. Maybe in a billion years. Physicists have long predicted that the universe may one day collapse, and that everything in it will be compressed to a small hard ball. New calculations from physicists at the University of Southern Denmark now confirm this prediction – and they also conclude that the risk of a collapse is even greater than previously thought. <br/><br/> Read more at: <a href="http://phys.org/news/2013-12-collapse-universe-closer.html#jCp">http://phys.org/news/2013-12-collapse-universe-closer.html#jCp</a></div>
</div>
<p></p> Bloomfield, NM Will Appeal Ruling on Ten Commandments Monumenttag:www.thinkatheist.com,2014-08-23:1982180:Topic:14859522014-08-23T08:15:03.247ZDemetrius Alcalahttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/DemetriusAlcala
<p><a href="http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S3538813.shtml?cat=518">http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S3538813.shtml?cat=518</a></p>
<p>So a town in my area garnered a bit of attention over a christian monument on public property when the ACLU ruled it unconstitutional, and eventually a judge ordered it to be removed. I was surprised some progress was being made and wasn't surprised when the ones trying to make progress weren't from this area.</p>
<p>See, bloomfield is in the…</p>
<p><a href="http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S3538813.shtml?cat=518">http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S3538813.shtml?cat=518</a></p>
<p>So a town in my area garnered a bit of attention over a christian monument on public property when the ACLU ruled it unconstitutional, and eventually a judge ordered it to be removed. I was surprised some progress was being made and wasn't surprised when the ones trying to make progress weren't from this area.</p>
<p>See, bloomfield is in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Corners" target="_blank">Four Corners</a>, a miserable wasteland with no cities for a 200 mile radius, where the people are still stuck in the 1950s. Nothing but <a href="http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S3540269.shtml?cat=518" target="_blank">redneck</a>idiots, products of incest, and <a href="http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S3539288.shtml?cat=518" target="_blank">methhead</a> trailer trash. The area was like 85% republican, everyone's mormon, catholic or christian and they're not good people about it if you know what I mean. They all drink mountain dew or monster energy drinks and eat junk food then wonder why they're fat and unhealthy. This place sucks so much.</p>
<p>So enough with my ranting, noone cares about me at all anyways.. But I figure I can give all of you something to do - dish in some of your time, if you'd please, in the effort to protect the separation of church and state.</p>
<p></p>
<p>By all means, please discuss this.</p> "History" repeats itself in Massachusettstag:www.thinkatheist.com,2014-05-13:1982180:Topic:14584152014-05-13T23:17:46.910ZGallup's Mirrorhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/GallupsMirror
<p>"Although the words 'under God' undeniably have a religious tinge, courts that have considered the <strong>history</strong> of the pledge and the presence of those words have consistently concluded that the pledge, notwithstanding its reference to God, is a fundamentally patriotic exercise, not a religious one." (<a href="http://www.socialaw.com/slippf.htm?cid=22800&amp;sid=120" target="_blank">Source</a>)</p>
<p>And with these incongruous words, the highest court in Massachusetts issued a…</p>
<p>"Although the words 'under God' undeniably have a religious tinge, courts that have considered the <strong>history</strong> of the pledge and the presence of those words have consistently concluded that the pledge, notwithstanding its reference to God, is a fundamentally patriotic exercise, not a religious one." (<a href="http://www.socialaw.com/slippf.htm?cid=22800&amp;sid=120" target="_blank">Source</a>)</p>
<p>And with these incongruous words, the highest court in Massachusetts issued a ruling which, by its own admission, denied the undeniably religious words 'Under God' are, in fact, religious. Because, having considered and notwithstanding the religious aspect-- which is unlawful-- it's not religion at all. It's "<strong>history</strong>".</p>
<p>This continues the ongoing and increasingly popular strategy used by judges and legislators of the religious right: substitute "<strong>history</strong>" (or rather a mythologized version of history) for legal analysis as a means to shelter Christian shrines and observations on public property. By declaring that religion is "<strong>history</strong>" and thus entirely secular, it becomes permissible. "History" can be an event as recent as 14 years ago.</p>
<p>Other recent examples include...</p>
<p>1. The Roberts Supreme Court <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/05/politics/scotus-new-york-public-prayer/" target="_blank">ruled</a> that officials in Greece, New York may jabber Christian prayers at city hall on government property, on grounds that such prayers are "<strong>history</strong>", not religion.</p>
<p>2. The <a href="http://kfor.com/2014/01/06/temple-seeks-to-build-monument-in-homage-to-satan-at-state-capitol/" target="_blank">Oklahoma State Capital's Ten Commandments</a> monument: <em>“The only reason why the Ten Commandments qualified is because at the Capitol, what we do is we make laws. We are lawmakers. Well, one of the earliest laws we have are the Ten Commandments. So therefore, <strong>it has historical significance</strong>.”</em></p>
<p>3. The <a href="http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&amp;vol=000&amp;invol=03-1500" target="_blank">Ten Commandments monument at the Texas State Capital</a>: <em>"The Chief Justice [Roberts], Justice Scalia, Justice Kennedy, and Justice Thomas, concluded that the Establishment Clause allows the display of a monument inscribed with the Ten Commandments on the Texas State Capitol grounds. Reconciling the strong role played by religion and religious traditions throughout our Nation's <strong>history</strong>..."</em></p>
<p>4. The <a href="http://missoulian.com/news/local/atheists-shocked-by-judge-s-decision-allowing-big-mountain-jesus/article_a658be68-dda4-11e2-98a2-001a4bcf887a.html" target="_blank">statue of Jesus erected on federal land</a> at Whitefish Mountain: <em>For many, [Judge] Christensen said, the statue is mostly “a <strong>historical</strong> reminder of those bygone days of sack lunches, ungroomed runs, rope tows, T-bars, leather ski boots and 210 cm. skis.”</em></p>
<p>5. The <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/29/us/new-york-911-museum-cross/" target="_blank">Christian Cross of Ground Zero</a> : <em>"Federal Judge Deborah Batts of the Southern District of New York ruled Thursday that display of the beams is permissible because they bear <strong>historical</strong> importance."</em> <em><br/></em></p>
<p>Thus equipped with such "reason", legislative bodies and courts packed with Christians are excluding shrines to Islam, Hinduism and Satan, and a monument to the <a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/07/atheists-sue-to-block-wtc-cross-from-911-memorial/1" target="_blank">500 irreligious who died</a> in the 9/11 attacks. Also excluded: the irreligious wishing to petition the prayerful at City Hall and the Humanist kids who want to participate in the daily patriotic exercise at their public schools. But Christian religious shrines and observances, being included in the government-backed in-crowd, may proceed unchecked.</p>
<p>That's how it works. Judges rubber stamp the whitewashing of the Constitution and grant <strong>"history"</strong> its special, privileged place. Every group that isn't part of <strong>"history"</strong>: sit down and shut up. You're excluded.</p>
<p>That's "equality".</p>
<p>Anyone care to wager on whether "history" will <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/22/school-district-sued-pledge-of-allegiance/7996207/" target="_blank">repeat itself in New Jersey</a> too?</p> How does the United States Rank? Prepare for a shock!tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2014-04-20:1982180:Topic:14509902014-04-20T14:52:28.892ZUnseenhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Unseen
<p>Eight of the Top 10 richest men in the world are Americans. (<a href="http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/list/#tab:overall" target="_blank">source</a>) </p>
<p>And I say "men" because all ARE men.</p>
<p>A recent report, the <a href="http://www.socialprogressimperative.org/system/resources/W1siZiIsIjIwMTQvMDQvMDIvMjAvNDAvMjYvNzYzL1NvY2lhbF9Qcm9ncmVzc19JbmRleF8yMDE0X1JlcG9ydF9lLnBkZiJdXQ/Social%20Progress%20Index%202014%20Report_e.pdf" target="_blank">New Social Progress Index 2014</a> paints…</p>
<p>Eight of the Top 10 richest men in the world are Americans. (<a href="http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/list/#tab:overall" target="_blank">source</a>) </p>
<p>And I say "men" because all ARE men.</p>
<p>A recent report, the <a href="http://www.socialprogressimperative.org/system/resources/W1siZiIsIjIwMTQvMDQvMDIvMjAvNDAvMjYvNzYzL1NvY2lhbF9Qcm9ncmVzc19JbmRleF8yMDE0X1JlcG9ydF9lLnBkZiJdXQ/Social%20Progress%20Index%202014%20Report_e.pdf" target="_blank">New Social Progress Index 2014</a> paints a dim view.</p>
<p>With all of that wealth in the United States, it really benefits Americans, right? No, it does not. Lately, even Bill Gates, the richest of the rich, is spending the bulk of his money in admittedly worthy and charitable programs benefiting people outside the United States. I'm referring to his anti-malaria efforts.</p>
<p>Here are some highlights from <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/03/new-social-progress-index-ranks-u-s-16th-out-of-132-countries.html" target="_blank">an article in The Daily Beast</a>:</p>
<p><em>· Basic Human Needs: Access to water, sanitation, are all worse in the U.S. than in countries with similar GDPs. But where we really lose it is personal safety, ranking 31st compared to Canada (9th), Germany (13th), New Zealand (17th), and the UK (21st). These numbers are partly due to an abnormally high number of traffic deaths.</em></p>
<p><em>· Access to Information and Communications: Just 81% of the population is Internet users compared to 87% in both the UK and Canada. While mobile telephone subscriptions (a little over 95 per 100 people) are also lower than in other countries.</em></p>
<p><em>· Health and Wellness: The United States ranks poorly here (70th), thanks in part to our obesity epidemic.</em></p>
<p><em>· Access to Basic Knowledge: We’re ranked 39th due to low primary school enrollment rates.</em></p>
<p>What do you see as the cause of our poor showing, and if there is a cause, what is the cure?</p> Should American Atheists sue to have 'Cross of Ground Zero' removed?tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2014-03-12:1982180:Topic:14406302014-03-12T21:35:44.937ZGallup's Mirrorhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/GallupsMirror
<p><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/911site_cross.jpg/360px-911site_cross.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" height="292" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/911site_cross.jpg/360px-911site_cross.jpg" width="219"></img></a> The World Trade Centers contained thousands of steel crossbeams, some of which were left standing after the attacks on September 11, 2001. Construction worker <span id="t12bl">Frank Silecchia</span> <a href="http://webarchive.loc.gov/lcwa0001/20010926073216/http://www.nypost.com/commentary/4613.htm" target="_blank">located several of them in the…</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/911site_cross.jpg/360px-911site_cross.jpg"><img class="align-center" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/911site_cross.jpg/360px-911site_cross.jpg" height="292" width="219"/></a>The World Trade Centers contained thousands of steel crossbeams, some of which were left standing after the attacks on September 11, 2001. Construction worker <span id="t12bl">Frank Silecchia</span> <a href="http://webarchive.loc.gov/lcwa0001/20010926073216/http://www.nypost.com/commentary/4613.htm" target="_blank">located several of them in the rubble</a> and called it a "miracle". He removed one and had it cut to more closely resemble a Latin cross.</p>
<p>Silecchia had the cross blessed by a Catholic priest, who <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20051219065340/http://peaceofficerministries.org/letter.htm" target="_blank">obtained permission</a> from New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to erect the cross on a concrete pedestal as a memorial. The cross was later moved to St. Peter's Church, which faces the future site of the 911 memorial.</p>
<p>It stayed put for ten years, then was moved back to the Ground Zero site as a <a href="http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/07/23/world-trade-center-cross-moving-to-permanent-home/" target="_blank">"permanent" home</a> in 2011, when it was again blessed by a Catholic priest in a brief religious ceremony, with former mayor Giuliani looking on. The cross has been there ever since, serving essentially a religious shrine where people often leave notes and jabber prayers.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cbsnewyork.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/119646964.jpg?w=420&amp;h=276"><img class="align-center" src="http://cbsnewyork.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/119646964.jpg?w=420&amp;h=276"/></a></p>
<p>Now it seems that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-arel/atheists-are-not-offended_b_4927592.html" target="_blank">American Atheists has had enough</a>. They're suing to stop the 'Cross of Ground Zero' from being included as a permanent part of the National September 11 Memorial, a federally funded museum. Otherwise, they want a separate monument to the atheists who were killed in the attack.</p>
<p>What do you think? Should American Atheists be filing this lawsuit? Do you think it'll work? Why or why not?</p> Carl Sagantag:www.thinkatheist.com,2014-03-07:1982180:Topic:14393332014-03-07T01:49:54.501ZEdhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/EdwardDelauter
<p>Just read an article in the latest issue of Smithsonian about Carl Sagan. His application was turned down by the prestigious National Academy of Sciences back in 1992. Those against his being selected said his body of work was insufficient compared to other supposedly more eligible astronomers. While he did more than any other scientist, at the time, to promote science and was extremely popular among lay people, was his research in fact lacking and not of the caliber necessary for acceptance…</p>
<p>Just read an article in the latest issue of Smithsonian about Carl Sagan. His application was turned down by the prestigious National Academy of Sciences back in 1992. Those against his being selected said his body of work was insufficient compared to other supposedly more eligible astronomers. While he did more than any other scientist, at the time, to promote science and was extremely popular among lay people, was his research in fact lacking and not of the caliber necessary for acceptance by the Academy? </p>
<p>I was also surprised to learn that he loved marijuana and felt it expanded his thoughts &amp; creativity. A rework of his 'Cosmos' series is to be released in just a few days on Fox. Neal Degrasse Tyson is a big part of this new twist on Cosmos and I look forward to watching it.</p> Proposed Satanic monument revealed for Oklahoma capitol grounds.tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2014-01-24:1982180:Topic:14283332014-01-24T17:10:34.414ZEdhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/EdwardDelauter
<p><a href="http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/07/satanists-unveil-design-for-statehouse-statue/comment-page-37/">http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/07/satanists-unveil-design-for-statehouse-statue/comment-page-37/</a></p>
<p><span>"The Satanists' proposed monument depicts Baphomet, a goat-headed pagan idol sitting on a 7-foot-tall throne inscribed with an inverted pentagram. In an artist's rendering provided by the Satanic Temple, smiling children look adoringly at the devilish…</span></p>
<p><a href="http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/07/satanists-unveil-design-for-statehouse-statue/comment-page-37/">http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/07/satanists-unveil-design-for-statehouse-statue/comment-page-37/</a></p>
<p><span>"The Satanists' proposed monument depicts Baphomet, a goat-headed pagan idol sitting on a 7-foot-tall throne inscribed with an inverted pentagram. In an artist's rendering provided by the Satanic Temple, smiling children look adoringly at the devilish figure."</span></p>
<p><span>Those in opposition to the proposed statue say that the basis for denying the erection of this very controversial statue is that it offers no historical significance to the state of Oklahoma, as that presented by the Christian monument displaying the Ten Commandments. Certainly there must be other criteria that offers equal validity to the erection of monuments on public property. </span></p>
<p><span>This proposal by the Church of Satan offers an excellent example of how we must cater to all religious sects or none at all. It would be interesting to the see the chagrin on the face of Chief Justice Antonin Scalia, a staunch Catholic, when they discuss the merits of this latest proposed addition to the lawn of the Oklahoma capitol grounds. </span></p>
<p><span>Would the Supreme Court find in favor for the Church of Satan?</span></p>